a medical librarian's adventures in evidence-based living

HOW TO FIND A POST

HOW TO FIND A POST

If you came to this page from a Google search, click on Edit in the search bar on top of your screen. Then click on Find & type in the KEYWORD you are looking for, like CERTO. You'll get to the exact spot you are searching for.

January 19, 2012

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links, and a video.

Missed it on Facebook? Find it here.

A few readers told me they were disappointed that I started posting a lot of information only on Facebook--and not on HHLL. Turns out, if you don't have a Facebook account, it's a pain to navigate a Facebook page. Facebook keeps asking you to login.

The truth is--it's a lot easier for me to post "hot off the press" information on Facebook, without burdening you with multiple emails.

So...in an effort to not leave anyone out, I decided to see what you all think about a weekly collection of my Facebook posts.

Turns out--it's also a good way for me to refer back to the links, articles, & recipes I've posted--and it also makes them "sort of" searchable via the HHLL google search engine. We'll see how well that works!

I left the comments off--in the interest of space. Too bad--because the conversations are very interesting.

Let me know what you think! Should I collect the posts in a weekly update? Or not?

‎"Cholesterol is a white, waxy substance that is not found in plants --- only in animals. It is an essential component of the membrane that coats all our cells, and it is the basic ingredient of sex hormones. Our bodies need cholesterol, and they manufacture it on their own. We do not need to eat it. But we do, when we consume meat, poultry, fish, and other animal-based foods, such as dairy products and eggs. In doing so, we take on excess amounts of the substance. What's more, eating fat [even as added oil] causes the body itself to manufacture excessive amounts of cholesterol, which explains why vegetetarians who eat oil, butter, cheese, milk, ice cream, glazed doughnuts, and French pastry develop coronary disease despite their avoidance of meat." - Dr. Esselstyn

Dr. Esselstyn on oil

Oil was the LAST thing I removed from my cooking/diet. I couldn't imagine how I could cook without it. Trust me--you DO NOT NEED IT FOR COOKING. It's so easy to "saute" without it. Bonus: no greasy stove or pans! Everyone who learns how to cook without it is surprised how easy it is. Lots of easy substitutes for oil in dressings, too! You will not miss it!

Just to clear any questions up: NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. And above all they contain saturated fat which immediately injures the endothelial lining of the arteries when eaten. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, or any other kind of oil. You should not consume any oil if you have heart disease. This is so important I have detailed oil in Chapter 10.- Dr. Esselstyn

January 18, 2012

New York Times article discusses the latest New England Journal of Medicine article questioning the value of regular bone density tests.

For years doctors were overly enthusiastic, prescribing it for women whose bone density was lower than normal but not in a danger zone, keeping women on the drug indefinitely.

A new study is asking whether frequent bone density measurements make sense for the majority of older women whose bone density is not close to a danger zone on an initial test.

Study on Exercise Keeping Alzheimer's at bay, especially for those with the APOE-4 gene

Here's the New York Times write-up on the Exercise-Alzheimer's study recently published in the Archives of Neurology. If it sounds familiar, that's because I posted the press release five days ago. Gretchen Reynolds does a good job explaining the details. If any drug had as many benefits as does exercise-everyone would want to take it!

A daily walk or jog could alter the risk of developing Alzheimer's or change the course of the disease if it begins in some people, a new study suggests.

NPR's Workout Song Mix

What's your favorite workout song? NPR has a mix for you to listen to--along with the song list to add to your own iPOD. I've got plenty of favorites--but Meat Loaf's full version of "Paradise" is fantastic in a spinning class! OMG! Tomorrow--4 new studies that will convince you to start exercising--if you aren't already.

What we eat really matters to our immune system--and can change the "environment" of our guts--which strengthens our immune system. Turns out--cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, turnips, and rutabagas all have a unique "chemical" that is beneficial to the gut--Indole-3-carbinol.

This is BIG news! "“You are what you eat.” A couple of recent studies underscore the relevance of this adage to the immune system. New studies by Kiss et al [1] and Li et al [2] show how certain dietary components derived from vegetables (broccoli & Brussels sprouts) interact with intestinal immune receptors and thereby regulate the organogenesis of lymphoid follicles, intestinal immunity, and the microbiota." (yeah, I know, too much information)

Western diets are considered to be risk factors for certain diseases, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD [3] High vegetable intake is thought to protect against ulcerative colitis, whereas a diet rich in certain fats, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and meat is considered to increase the risk of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Accordingly, it is possible that dietary components prevent or induce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

Kiss et al. and Li et al., by providing a compelling link between diet and protective immune functions, have opened up a new line of inquiry. The search for foods containing similar immunomodulatory compounds has begun.'

Thanks to Dr. H for alerting me to this N Engl J Med article published last Thursday.

My "Healthy Librarian" friend, Marlene's dream come true! 5 minute recipes, with 5 or less ingredients, that cost less than $5. Click on the photo & see the easy-peasy recipe. Not a new link--but still relevant & very useful! Probably not for the "foodies" among us. Sorry, Jeff.

Examples of some of my favorite simple recipes. Most all of them can be made in about 5 minutes, have less then 5 ingredients and cost much less than 5 dollars. These meals are very low in calorie density and very high in nutrient density so you can eat all you want till you are comfortably full without having to worry about portions size or going hungry. They are all based on my lecture, Calorie Density: How To Eat more, Weigh Less & Live Longer! Enjoy!

I love roasted poblanos & HHLL reader Louisville Mike (a taste-conscious foodie) says this was a hit with his family. He skipped the olive oil when tossing the sweet potatoes, and used a little spray instead. His tip: definitely line the roasting pan with foil--my tip: use non-stick foil. This recipe has it all: Sweet potatoes, poblanos, black beans, corn, & spice. Can't wait to try it.

I've made this dish several times now and love it.Thanks for posting it (found you through tastespotting)the only thing i change is that i put the onions and corn (plus some garlic) in with the potatoes and roast them all together. less of a sharp onion flavor then. and i add all the cilantro in a...

You cannot read a more inspiring story of a health-turnaround from a high cholesterol, obesity, & back pain. Lynne Morrissey is a plant-based & exercise rock star. Thanks to Janice Stanger for posting this! Don't miss it!

Lynne Morrissey is a Facebook friend with an inspiring story of survival against heavy genetic odds. Lynne, who lives near St. Louis, Missouri, just turned 50 and has four adult children. She is sharing her achievements so she can show others to never give up. Health is just a forkful away.

Healthy Girl's Kitchen Farmer's Pie Recipe

I loved this recipe--as did others readers who tried it. It could use more seasoning, though, and Penzey's Salt-Free Forward sprinkled on my individual serving kicked it up a notch!

The New York Times. The Connection of Hearing Loss to Dementia. How Hearing Aids Help!

This is an astonishing finding! Here's how hearing loss can contribute to dementia, rather than the other way around. A good reason to get your hearing checked.

“The brain dedicates a lot of resources to hearing. When the clarity of words is garbled, the brain gets a garbled message. It has to reallocate resources to hear at the expense of other brain functions,” according to Dr. Frank R. Lin of Johns Hopkins.

Thus, the overworked brain may lose “cognitive reserve,” the ability of healthy parts of the brain to take over functions lost by other parts.

This "hidden" disability, currently untreated in about 85 percent of those affected, may be the nation's most damaging sensory handicap.

The Vitamin D & Ulcerative Colitis Connection

Study appearing in Gut. "A leading explanation for this north-south gradient in the risk of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease may be differences in exposure to sunlight, or UVB radiation, which is generally greater in southern latitudes," wrote Dr. Hamed Khalili, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.

"UV radiation is the greatest environmental determinant of plasma vitamin D, and there is substantial experimental data supporting a role for vitamin D in the innate immunity and regulation of inflammatory response," they noted.

New York Times - The Downside of Cubicle Offices & Group Decision-Making. Why Quiet & Solitude Promotes Creativity & Our Best Work

If you crave silence & alone time when you work, think, write, or read--you are going to LOVE this essay. I work in a noisy cubicle office--so you can just imagine... Learn why solitude is important to creativity--and why "work by committee" falls flat.

We had Seitan Gyros withTzatziki Sauce for dinner tonight! Amazing. If you haven't tried these yet--you don't know what you're missing! Double the Gyro part of recipe so you'll have some for lunch--sauce doesn't have to be doubled. Leave out the onion!! My BIL didn't & he wished he had.

I LOVE this recipe!! The Tzatziki Sauce makes a great salad dressing, too!

My New Go-To Fave Cookbook--Quick-Fix Vegan, by Robin Robertson "You don't have to be a full-time vegan to love this book. Quick-Fix Vegan is packed with 150 fast and easy recipes for putting delcious, healthy food on the table in...

Do Anti-Perspirants Really Have a Connection to Breast Cancer???? Or Is It Just an Urban Legend?

The association between anti-perspirants & breast cancer always seemed the stuff of urban legend--now a new study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology might be changing that. The possible culprit? Parabens--and maybe aluminum. An easy fix. Check the content of your anti-perspirants, cosmetics, & lotions in the EWG's site: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

For every extra 100 milligrams of magnesium a person ate per day, their risk of an ischemic stroke -- the most common kind, typically caused by a blood clot -- fell by nine percent. The median magnesium intake for U.S. men and women included in the analysis was 242 milligrams a day (mg/d). The U.S. recommends men and women over age 31 eat 420 and 320 mg/d of magnesium, respectively.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A fresh look at past research concludes that people who eat lots of greens and other foods rich in magnesium have fewer strokes -- a finding that supports current diet guidelines. But...

New Study in the Physician & Sportsmedicine - Lifelong Exerciser Preserve Their Muscles - Muscle Atrophy as We Age is Not Inevitable.

Exercise, baby! Don't stop--and start if you don't! From a study in The Physician and Sportsmedicine that took detailed measurements of 40 masters athletes between the ages of 40 and 81, and found a surprising lack of age-related muscle loss: This study contradicts the common observation that muscle mass and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Instead, these declines may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging. Thanks Janet for the link! I was actually planning to write about this one & 2 other pro-exercise articles, today. But, I was spinning & yoga--ing.

How to Find Real Food at the Supermarket

Another gem from my Healthy Librarian colleague, Marlene! Hilarious!

I'm going to try this one tomorrow--minus the oil. This is one of Robin Robertson's recipes--One of my faves--author of "Quick-Fix Vegan"--so it's got to be good. Thanks to Lani for forwarding this to me.

I highly recommend this dish. It's so easy, so tasty, so pretty to look at, and so nutritious. Just vegetables & beans--that taste like restaurant fare.

If adding more vegetables to your diet is one of your resolutions for a new year, here’s a delicious way to do it. Cut up a few different vegetables (the more the merrier) and roast them until tender, then top with a luscious and protein-rich cannellini bean sauce.

Big news from the esteemed Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: "This finding is important and clinically useful since C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease," said lead author Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D., a member of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center. "Lowering inflammatory factors is important for reducing a broad range of health risks. Showing that a low-glycemic-load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese."

Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease, according to a new study. Such a "low-glycemic-load" diet, which does not cause bl...

January 13, 2012

Just Heard. Paula Deen Has Type-2 Diabetes. It's rumored she also has a hefty drug company contract. True or False?

The diabetes diagnosis part is true. The Novartis spokesperson part probably isn't. Deen was rumored to be a new spokesperson for the Novartis diabetes drug, but now the Atlantic wire is nixing the rumor. We'll have to wait & see. Here's New York Grub Street's story: "Deen made a mountain of money peddling her butter-soaked food, and now she's poised to make millions more with a "rumored" deal with Novartis as a spokesperson." Thanks Babs for sharing the story.

Exercise Can Fight the Genetic Risk of Alzheimer's

Off to the gym!!! Dr. Robert Green's (study author) BOTTOM LINE:

“As we get older, there are an awful lot of things that influence brain health. The way I think of it is that if you’ve got a disease that’s slowly brewing in your brain and you keep yourself as healthy as possible, and you keep the vascular load on top of that disease — the stuff gumming up the arteries in your brain — if you can keep that to a minimum, then with whatever genetic load you have, and whatever underlying developing disease you have, you do better.” This research confirms many others over the past few years! Eat plant-based heart & brain healthy & exercise. They both boost nitric oxide.

We loved this so much I decided to post my variation. Make it this weekend!

Indian Chili - Daily Garnish's Recipe, Tweaked by the Healthy Librarian I have no business posting a recipe before I head out of the house this morning--then on to the gym, then on to work, & then on to a...

January 11, 2012

The New York Times. What's a Vegetarian Living in Midwest Meat Country to Do?

Great read! There are zero full veg restaurants in my hometown. The upside? You don't often eat in restaurants & you get real good at trying out amazng new recipes. But I do envy New Yorkers, big time!! What's it like where you live?

Comments

This is a little easier for me, as a non-facebook person. I've been going to the facebook page, but it's hard to keep up, and I often feel like I'm missing good points. This format makes it possible to look back more easily and follow-up on what's pertinent to us. I'd be happy to have the comments here too, since they are often so inspiring. Receiving your blog and these posts is a little like trying to drink out of a firehose, but don't stop!

Thanks so much for posting this weekly recap. I don't have time to check FB very often, so I miss about 95% of the information. BTW, I always look forward to receiving your emails. You're my favorite information resource!

Fantastic! Just what I needed. I am following your FB page but I was struggling to keep up with all the postings. I was nearly going to cry "too much information" (yes Carol, like drinking out of a firehose!). I started my own blog in the hope that I could manage some of the links I want to keep coming back to - but I can't keep up and FB won't let you browse back very far on someone's page. So thanks for doing this weekly digest. Much appreciated.

@Thomas: I agree that it's visually harder to navigate posted on a blog page--than on Facebook---& it's not easy to distinguish my comments, from the articles. Also, you miss all the discussion--& that's often the best part. Lots of helpful discussion.

I'm on fb anyway, and I like those quick posts. I also like the longer, more thorough blog posts, so I'd hate to see those disappear entirely, but I can almost imagine how much work they are! They're great, though. The fb collection on the blog I would just skip, but that no way means you shouldn't do it. Thanks for all the information and inspiration you provide!

I love how Carol described the blog & the FB page--Like trying to drink out of a fire hose. I just find so many articles I read--and radio shows I hear, so fascinating--with information that's relevant to our lives. At least this way, it's "captured" for later reading.

Deb, this was a great post. A whole lot of concise information On about a whole lot of stuff... And it went on and on. I saved it as a reference, I may be giving a healthy librarian tutorial on healthy eating to the wellness meeting group at my agency

And gee.... you get more and more prolific at an excelerated pace... and with the facebook page 2... it is pretty incredible

I Love Your Blog ~ Your Emails ~ . Not such a fan of Facebook - Not sure why - in my circle I am the only non-FBer. Thank you for being willing to "squish" all your FB posts and links together for us in one EM. I appreciate ALL of your efforts to keep us up-to-date on so much great information.

I read your FaceBook page, but find that one can't go back very far, as with a weekly blog like this one you have posted, I can go back and review at leisure and not miss any information. Keep up the great work you do as trust you for good information on our Health issues. Look forward for more to come,
Pamela Wildermuth, Australia

The Facebook page is great! I love it and log on every a.m to see what you are posting. Best decison you made this year to get it going!! Always interesting. BUT, I love the more extensive commenatary on your blog, too. Love hearing about your life (Lab Rat and kids), your take on the articles and what you think is relevant. Really, it's what blogs are all about. We feel linked to someone who shares similar views. But I realize it's a LOT of work. Keep up best you can! I'm loving both!

Thanks so much for all the work you put in to your wonderful website. I hope it's as much fun for you as it is for us!

I do not choose to join Facebook at this time so definitely am hoping you will collect your posts in a weekly update for HHLL.

I am simply in awe of you, your family, your lifestyle. Thanks for mentoring the rest of us--we might be kicking and screaming about certain things, but we will get there! I have been trying to follow the plant-based way of eating...have lost 6 pounds so far.

I just read through the email from you with your FaceBook postings. I loved it.

I'm concerned about your time but I loved seeing your FB posts in an email. I wondered about putting the entries in order of the early part of the week at the top and the last most current entry at the bottom so readers can read down through them kind of in time sequence. I hope that made sense.

I really liked the video of Dr. Esselstyn at the TED speaking conference.

Thanks so much for putting all you posts on your blog. I appreciate the effort it must take you, but it's easier to keep up here than on Facebook which I joined mainly to follow younger generation family members, and I don't log on every day. This way I won't miss anything you post about.

I vote "yes" to the weekly compendium of FB articles. There are limits to how much time I can spend on "recreational reading" online. I visit your FB page less often than your blog so I miss good articles / posts. I hope you continue. The info contained in this blog post will have a longer life than FB posts.

I vote NO to the round up of Facebook posts. It was way too long, and now I don't see the incentive to follow you on Facebook. You have to pick one or the other. If you continue to do this, it would probably make the most sense for me to unLIKE you on Facebook and simply read the digest here.